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Not drafting a running back could haunt the Lions

April 30th, 2012 8:34 PM
  • Not-drafting-a-running-back-could-haunt-the-Lions
  • Detroit-Lions-running-back-Kevin-Smith-carries-the-ball-against-the-New-Orleans-Saints.-Mandatory-Credit-Richard-Mackson-US-PRESSWIRE
  • Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best rushes the ball against the Chicago Bears. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE
  • Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith carries the ball against the New Orleans Saints. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

    • The Detroit Lions certainly had needs in mind as they proceeded through the NFL Draft this past weekend, as every pick with the exception of second-round receiver Ryan Broyles filled an immediate hole on the roster. However, one position that was left unaddressed was at running back, which was a serious source of stress last season for the Lions.

    Starter Jahvid Best played in only six games last year due to multiple concussions, and the team as a whole was 29th in the league in rushing offense. Right now, Best has yet to be cleared for contact (GM Martin Mayhew expects him to be cleared in June), making Kevin Smith and Keiland Williams the only healthy backs on the roster that saw any time on the field last season, and the only truly reliable one (Smith) is hardly a picture of perfect health.

    If Best encounters more concussion problems next season — or if he doesn’t progress as expected this offseason — then the Lions could be in serious trouble. Smith played in just seven games last year after signing with the team midseason, so expecting him to last for a full 16 games is a big risk. Bringing back Maurice Morris to split some more carries alongside Williams is a possibility, but he would be more of a stopgap option.

    There are also other veteran free agents still available who can be brought in to take some carries. Names like Joseph Addai, Tim Hightower, and LaDainian Tomlinson are still available, but the Lions might have to get creative with their salary cap space in order to fit them in, and it’s unclear how desirable of a destination they will be for a veteran given that they can’t guarantee a set amount of carries. And as they saw last year with their flirtation with Ronnie Brown, bringing in a well-traveled veteran comes with risks of its own.

    Although Jahvid Best has been cleared to work out and is taking part in the Detroit Lions’ offseason training program, he has not yet been cleared for contact. That has concerned some people given that contact will be the biggest test for Best on his road back from the concussion that ended his season in 2011.

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